Story: After a deadly virus almost wiped out the human race, the evolved apes led by Caesar live peacefully in the woods. But their safety is threatened, when a few human survivors trespass on their land.

Review: Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes is a sequel to Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011).

The decade after humans were decimated due to a pandemic, the genetically evolved ape population continues to thrive.

Led by the righteous Caesar (Andy Serkis), an ape raised by James Franco in the previous film, the talking species live peacefully in the forest.

They love their families and are content that their nation won't be invaded.

However, the safety of the growing clan is threatened once again when a few gun-wielding humans enter their territory, looking for a source to generate electricity.

Will Caesar trust the humans again and even if he does, can they be trusted? Who will emerge as earth's dominant species?

The film is a classic conflict between good and bad. While you may go looking for that epic Humans vs Apes battle, at heart, the movie is about individuals than species and there lies its beauty.

It will restore your faith in goodness. The game of trust and betrayal continues as for Caesar, the past comes back to haunt him.

In spite of the heart-warming story and execution, things do get predictable as it won't take you long to guess who the villain is. However that doesn't hinder its impact, thanks to spectacular performances, special effects and 3D.

Also, the visual effects here do not overshadow the emotions or content. Each character has been neatly etched and detailed. You feel for their loss and fear. Very few films have a soul, style and substance and this is one of those rare films.

Emotionally intense, deeply absorbing and visually engaging, DOTPOTA is a solid build-up to another deserving sequel.

If not anything, you must watch it for Caesar aka motion capture maestro Andy Serkis. He is the 'Godfather' here.